Anyway. I like Seelifein69's suggestion of Rutherford. Or maybe Simon? Simon Finster? Simon Mead? I don't think it needs to be too overtly sinister. After awhile the name itself will be transformed by the character and take on whatever evil characteristics you care to bestow. Even an upstanding sort of name like Dave Smith can become evil on the shoulders of an evil character.

I find villain names sound "villainous" when they include sharp or edgy sounds, like G or K or CH, maybe like Chuck McGlinker, something that just sounds annoying or abrasive. The problem is you run the risk of annoying your reader if the reader has to read a name that sounds ugly to his or her mind's ear.

A thing to think about is if Scrooge is public domain. If so, hey, you could use that name and reference that Scrooge is actually a Scrooge in the story. If it isn't public domain, I'd not risk it: no one can copyright a name (like Scrooge), but you could get in trouble if you have a Scrooge who is way too similar to a certain Dickins character.

You can 'generate' your own names. Just think of synonyms and variations on the idea of Scrooge-like, 'parsimonious' 'niggardly' etc or go for sounds that are abrasive, like lostinwebspace suggests. I think 'Scrooge' can't be used really, since it just calls to mind the Dickens character--but hey, before Dickens what did we call someone who was Scrooge-like?

You can 'generate' your own names. Just think of synonyms and variations on the idea of Scrooge-like, 'parsimonious' 'niggardly' etc or go for sounds that are abrasive, like lostinwebspace suggests. I think 'Scrooge' can't be used really, since it just calls to mind the Dickens character--but hey, before Dickens what did we call someone who was Scrooge-like?

When I think "Scrooge-like," I think of an older English gentleman. (Or maybe I'm just influenced by the Muppets Christmas Carol.) So a name that would sound English... Edward something? Edward McGuller?

You can 'generate' your own names. Just think of synonyms and variations on the idea of Scrooge-like, 'parsimonious' 'niggardly' etc or go for sounds that are abrasive, like lostinwebspace suggests. I think 'Scrooge' can't be used really, since it just calls to mind the Dickens character--but hey, before Dickens what did we call someone who was Scrooge-like?

Click to expand...

Generally such a person would be called a "Miser". One such example is John Elwes or "Elwes the Miser". In fact he is believed to have been the inspiration for the character of "Ebenezer Scrooge" in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.